Monday, February 24, 2020

The cabinet approved the Hajj Package 2020/1441 Hijri on Monday, allowing the pilgrims to perform hajj in three packages under government management.

The approval was given in the weekly meeting of the cabinet, held at Prime Minister’s Office with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, reports BSS.

Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam briefed reporters about the decision at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The cabinet secretary said a total of 1,37,198 pilgrims can go to Saudi Arabia this year to perform hajj, as per an agreement signed with the Saudi government.

Of them, 1,20,000 would perform hajj under private management, while 17,198 would get to perform hajj under government management, he added.

Anwarul said the government will send hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia in three packages this year. The total cost of package 1 has been fixed at Tk4,25,000, package 2 at Tk3,60,000 and package 3 at Tk3,15,000.

In the past, the pilgrims went to perform hajj in two packages under government management, he said, adding that a new hajj package worth Tk3,15,000 was proposed this year for the first time.

The cabinet secretary also said the cost of hajj package 1 and package 2 has increased by Tk6,500 and Tk16,000 respectively this year.

Noting that private hajj agencies can also send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia following the three packages, Anwarul said the hajj packages have been fixed based on the distance of the pilgrims’ residences from the Haram Sharif.

Under packages 1 and 2, the pilgrims will stay within 700 metres and 1500 of the Haram Sharif respectively, while the clients of package 3 will be accommodated over 1,500 metres far from the Haram Sharif.

This year the hajj agencies cannot withdraw the money which will be deposited by pilgrims in their bank accounts for air tickets, Anwarul said.

The cabinet secretary also said the money of air tickets must be sent to the airlines directly through government pay orders.

Furthermore, the cabinet approved the draft of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University Act, 2020 and the draft of National Digital Commerce (Amendment) Policy, 2020.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2020/02/24/cabinet-okays-hajj-package2020-minimum-cost-tk3-15-lakh